


Married and in Love

by beifongsbitch



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, F/M, Infidelity, Marriage, Regret, Sorry Not Sorry, angst but its not too bad, another angsty fic, mwahahaha, very little tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:15:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28084524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beifongsbitch/pseuds/beifongsbitch
Summary: He married the wrong person.
Relationships: Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Married and in Love

**Author's Note:**

> heyyy, so this one isn't as emotional as my other fic. it's probably more frustrating than sad://
> 
> anyways, enjoy!

Reciting his vows was one of the most painful things Sokka’s ever done. He could tell Suki felt similarly, the insincerity behind both of their words was clear.

Does he love Suki? Of course, he does, but not the same way he did when they were 15. 

They got engaged because people kept telling them they were ‘running out of time’. Time for what, kids? Suki made it quite clear she did not want children and wasn’t going to leave the Kyoshi Warriors. Sokka was neutral to the idea, he didn’t feel like he  _ needed _ to have kids to be fulfilled. Even if they did want to have children, their cramped schedules left little to no time for anything other than work. 

Seeing each other once in a Blue Moon, letters being few and far between, and ... _ falling out of love _ , had broken so many things between them. All those things have been left unsaid, but they both know this isn’t working. 

Instead of breaking off their relationship, he proposed. Not because he genuinely wanted to marry her and spend the rest of their lives together, because maybe, _ just maybe _ , marriage would fix something. 

  
  
  


And now here they are. Standing in front of each other at the altar, reading their vows. When they were done, Iroh declared them husband and wife. One phony, half-hearted kiss later, Sokka grabs Suki’s and raises them up as they turn towards the audience, forcing smiles. They all applaud for the newlywed couple, a few people cheered verbally. His eyes skim over the crowd, breath hitching when they land on a certain blind earthbender.

The party makes its way over to where the dance floor, food, and drinks were. Blissfully unaware of the internal struggle Sokka is currently facing. Their relationship wasn’t going to get fixed by getting married. It was only going to complicate things. An overwhelming sinking feeling plows through his chest. 

_ No. You’re happy that you married Suki. You love each other and have been together for 14 years. This is the happiest day of your life _ . 

No matter how many times he told himself that, the feeling didn’t go away. 

Putting his emotions aside, he joins some friends on the dance floor and tries to enjoy the party. And tries to forget that he’s at a wedding,  _ his _ wedding. The rest of the night was fun, a welcome distraction from his thoughts. A few dozen upbeat songs are played, but the closing song is a slow one. He should want to dance with his new wife, but he doesn’t. He pretends like he does though. He pretends that Suki is the woman he wants to be with. 

When Sokka rests his chin on the top of Suki’s head, he gets a perfect view of Toph laughing on the other side of the room, his heart flutters a little bit, before breaking. 

  
  


_ I married the wrong person _ .

  
  
  


  
  


_ 5 Years Later _

  
  


Suki has been in the Fire Nation for 8 months straight. He’s kind of lonely, so he goes over to Toph’s apartment. Nothing weird, just two best friends hanging out like two normal best friends. 

Sokka lets himself in and flops down face first onto the couch with an exaggerated groan.

“Hey.” Laughing at his dramatics, she asks, “What happened? Did you lock yourself out of your own house again?” She continues washing dishes over her sink.

“That was one time.” Sokka muffles into the cushions, holding up an index finger, even though she can’t see it. He sits up so his words are clearer. “But no, I came here because it’s 8 p.m on a Friday and I don’t really wanna be sober tonight.” 

“Pfft, okay.”

  
  


An hour and a half of drinking later, they’re leaning on opposite sides of Toph’s kitchen, laughing (talking shit) about one of the other council members. A few half-empty bottles sit on the counter closest to Sokka.

Toph walks across the room to stand next to him. “He sounds like he’s a nightmare to work with.” Her tone is undoubtedly flirty, in the sober part of his brain, Sokka knows where this is probably going, but he can’t bring himself to care.

Looking down at her, he notices that her face is turned slightly downwards. She must have felt his gaze because she tilts her head in his general direction. Unseeing, cloudy grey eyes meet dark blue ones, and then against all better judgment, he kisses her. She takes a second to recover from the surprise before leaning in and kissing him back. It would be cringe to say out loud, but it was ethereal. The bite and burn of the liquor still on their lips and tongues, the way his hands fit perfectly on her waist, how warm her hands were on the back of his neck. It just felt  _ right _ .

Both of them came crashing back down to reality and pulled away. A moment passes as a wave of realization floods through them. He’s  _ married _ . And they just-.

Sokka was the first one to try to speak. “I-“  _ I just cheated on Suki.  _ He didn’t know which was worse, that he just kissed Toph, even though  _ he’s married _ , or the fact that he doesn’t feel anything other than the lingering euphoria that came from the kiss. Of course, he knows what he did was wrong and there would most definitely be consequences following this, but he doesn’t feel regret or shame. Where the overwhelming guilt should be, it’s replaced by an odd sense of relief. 

Several moments of heavy silence pass before Toph breaks it. “Whatever you do after this is up to you. But I will not be the reason your marriage falls apart, and I am  _ most definitely  _ not about to become the other woman.” Her voice is firm and unyielding. “Sorry, but until you figure your shit with Suki out…” She doesn’t finish her sentence but he knows what she means. 

“You can sit on the couch until you sober up if you’re too drunk to walk home.”

Not really knowing what to say, “No, I’m fine. Thanks though.”

And then he left.

  
  
  


Five years ago he realized he married the wrong person. Why he didn’t do anything about it is something even he doesn’t know.

All of the guilt and shame he missed earlier finally caught up with him, but he wasn’t ashamed that he kissed Toph today. He’s ashamed he didn’t do it before, disappointed that all of these years could have been spent with someone he genuinely and deeply loved. Angry at himself for letting himself get caught up in a stale relationship because it felt _ safe,  _ it was all he knew. 

He had a decision to make; leave the woman he’s been with for almost two decades, to be with the person he truly loved, or stay with Suki even though their time together has very clearly dried up and needs to be ended, because he’s scared of being alone. 

There’s no guarantee that a relationship with Toph would work. Then again… there’s no guarantee that it wouldn't.

**Author's Note:**

> theyre both idiots. lord.
> 
> pls lmk what u think:D


End file.
